Basic Time Managment

The Sundial

Credit: Elena MoiseevaCredit: Elena Moiseeva

Maximize Your Productivty

Before we can maximize our time we must have a shift in our paradigm, or the way we understand it and the implication of managing it. Time is not a process that we can control or a device that we can carry in our pocket. We cannot wind it or charge its batteries. It does not require an appointment or permission to do its job. It simply moves forward from the present into the future creating the past.

Can You Manage Time?

“Time and tide wait for no man.”Geoffrey Chaucer

The sundial makes it abundantly clear that time is a heartless mechanism that moves forever forward. Regardless of our circumstances, whether pain or sorrow, or even death. It cannot be affected by the devices or methods of mankind. By time management we are really referring to event management. The closest we can really come to managing time is to plan and manage the events that we have control over. Even this is subject to the uncontrollable circumstances that occur without our permission or planning.

Begin with three skills:

1. Understand how you spend your time

To understand how you spend your time, log all of your activities for a typical 5 day period. Record everything you do and how long you work on each acivity. Take special note of things that you did not anticipate.

The more detailed you are the more you will able to make adjustments to your workload later. Include lunch breaks or time on the phone with a friend. Remember this is a short term investment in your long term productivity goal.

2. Recognize and remove time wasters

After you complete the week of logging all activities, begin the process of identifying those activities that yield the lowest benefit to your productivity. Make notes to describe why the activity was wasteful and what you can do to eliminate is.

A critical concept to understand is that you will only have time to accomplish more meaningful tasks when you reduce or eliminate less meaningful tasks.

There are only 1440 minutes in each 24 hour period. There will never be more. On average you sleep for 480 of those minutes. That leaves you with 960 minute to do what ever you do each day. With that said, make your 960 count. Invest these precious ticks of the clock on your goals, dreams and ambitions.

Some examples of wasteful activities:

Irrelevant e-mail

Unimportant phone calls

T.V.

Entertainment

Surfing the internet

Constant escape activities

3. Prioritize your schedule

Commit to productivity by design. Your success and whether or not you achieve your dreams and goals is in your hands. Refuse to function in the mindset of a victim of some unseen force that is working against you. You have never been in more control of your circumstances than you decide to be right now. Time is your greatest ally when scheduled and used according to a well defined plan. Your decision to utilize the moments to achieve your dreams is in your power. Focus, Plan, execute, and succeed!

Start With a Plan

Evaluate yesterday’s results

Decide today’s priorities

Review your long term goals

What tasks from your list of goals can you accomplish today

Decide what is Important

Instead of making a to-do list

Create a prioritized task list

Be clear on what you will spend your time on and why

Now that you have the basics, the sooner you get to work the sooner you will see results. I would love to hear your thought or if you have applied these basics to your productivity process let me know how it's going. Please get involved and leave a comment.

What is your current method to stay productive?

Have you use these basics?

I hope you have found this article helpful. Let me know what other productivity topics that you would like to see covered. Blessings!